The Horace Mann Record RECORD.HORACEMANN.ORG
HORACE MANN’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1903
MARCH 15TH, 2019 || VOLUME 116, ISSUE 21
Racist video sparks Fieldston student protest Students stand in solidarity with Hilltop school activists
Mayanka Dhingra Staff Writer
Emboldened students journeyed to nearby Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS) on Monday morning to stand in solidarity with the ECFS student body in silent protest following the release of a racially charged video. After the ECFS students staged a 72 hour sit-in, the ECFS administration agreed to all 20 of the protesters’ demands. The video, which was filmed four years ago, shows current ECFS seniors chanting homophobic and racial slurs while calling out students of color by name. Courtey of Zoe Casdin
RISING UP Fieldston students line stairways in protest.
INSIDE
This incident was the second racially charged video to circulate this year from a New York City independent school, following the release of a video of students in blackface at the Poly Prep school back in January. In response to the video, the ECFS administration announced that one of the students had withdrawn from the school, but failed to release further information regarding disciplinary actions for the other students involved, prompting students from the Students of Color Matter group and the Hilltop Diversity Coalition (HDC) to demand a further disciplinary response. “We will no longer allow our institution to perpetuate the suppressive behavior that negates the validity in the experiences and trauma of students of color,” a statement released by the Students of Color Matter group at ECFS on Monday said. The group published a series of twenty demands, insisting ECFS immediately respond to four and strive towards the other sixteen as long term goals. While security guards barred Record reporters from entering the ECFS campus to speak with students and prevented them from taking photos, students associated with Students of Color Matter organization were able to attend the protest to show their support. For Taussia Boadi (11), the decision to miss class and attend the protest was a personal one, she said. “The person attacked in the video is a close friend of mine, and I needed to be there to stand in solidarity with them and make sure they were okay,” Boadi said. Also in attendance was Charles Simmons (11), who felt that seeing the united front at ECFS made him feel stronger about the school’s own commitment to inclusivity and hopeful for hilltop community as a whole, he said. Dakota Stennett-Nerris (12), the founder of the HDC, first learned of the protests from fellow HDC representatives on Sunday night. She believes it is time for schools claiming to promote inclusivity to be held accountable, she said. “This protest sends a really powerful message to our school and other schools that have had instances that, yes, you can organize, yes, you can gain support, and yes, change is possible,” Yasmin McLamb (12) who attended the protest on Tuesday afternoon, said. Halle Friedman (ECFS 11) and the majority of the student body first learned of the protest from flyers about the Students of Colors Matter group’s demands and the schedule for the day of
Trouble in Paradise
4-5
Annual senior spring break trip to Atlantis resort.
protest after getting off their school buses on Monday morning, she said. According to Simmons, students arrived on campus as early as five in the morning to prevent teachers from entering their offices in the administrative building, barricading the doors with furniture and their linked bodies, he said. Students elsewhere on campus lined the hallways, silently refusing to attend class, Simmons said. “It was a very silent, somber atmosphere,” Simmons said. “Campus felt like a ghost town, but at the same time I sense the mentality that these students were demanding dramatic change.” Simmons, Boadi, and Stennett-Nerris went as allies to the ECFS students and talked with teachers and faculty members about the situation, but felt as though they couldn’t “sit-in” themselves, Boadi said. “It was powerful just to be there and witness how extremely diverse the turnout was and see people from all ends of spectrum participating,” Boadi said. At least 75% of the students on campus participated in the event, Grant Miller (ECFS 11) said. Younger students from ECFS middle school also participated in the sit-in to show their support and the lower school students have been sending cards, Dillon Sheekey (ECFS 10) said. Students involved in the sit-in came prepared to spend the night if their demands weren’t met by the administration, bringing sleeping bags, changes of clothes, and food, Simmons said. Alex Markstien (ECFS 11) believes the protest could be the first step to bringing long term change to the culture of ECFS and the broader independent school community, he said. “It is not just about the recent videos that surfaced. It is about the persistent idea of racism at our schools, and the demands made by the movement leaders could really help the community unite again,” Markstein said. The second day of protest was filled with optimism as students made posters with positive messages to hang along the school hallways and participated in workshops, Lillian Sen (ECFS 9) said. Many faculty members also showed their support for the students by taking part in these discussions, Freidman said. The protest continued into Wednesday after “the administration failed to adequately address the first four demands,” according to the Students of Color Matter Instagram page. On Wednesday afternoon, after agreeing to the first four demands, the ECFS administration began talks with the ECFS students with the help of state assemblyman Keith Wright, who served as a mediator to the discussion, David Porges (ECFS 10) said. After almost seven hours of meeting and over 3000 signatures on their online petition, the ECFS administration was able to met the protesters’ demands in full, agreeing on a formal plan to proceed on Wednesday night.
Courtey of Zoe Casdin
LOCKED IN Fieldston students barricade administration. For Willa Ferrer (ECFS 12), one of the students involved in organizing the protest, leaving the administrative building for the first time since Monday and seeing the faces of students who will be directly impacted by the principles the movement fought for was the most powerful thing that happened so far, she said. “This was one of the most challenging things I’ve done mentally, physically, and emotionally, but in the end it was so worth it,” Ferrer said. This week’s events have prompted further discussion within the school community about racism and how the school’s policies address similar issues. Yesterday, Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly and Head of the Upper Division Jessica Levenstein held an I Period forum to discuss how race affects members of the community’s daily experiences and the school’s own commitment to fostering a safe environment for all. The forum was filled to capacity with students, faculty, and staff from all departments lining the walls of the Faculty Dining Room. “In these moments we listen, we respond, and we teach,” said Kelly. “A huge effort is underway to retool how we approach this work,” he said. The school has hired a new staff member whose job will be solely dedicated to incorporating diversity in the Lower and Nursery Division curriculums, including a mandatory course entitled Seminar on Identity (SOI) for the sixth grade in addition to the already existing eleventh grade SOI requirement. “When it happens across the country were not really affected by it; when it happens in a nearby borough we pause,” Boadi said.”But when it happens down the street five minutes away, that hits close to home.” Courtey of Zoe Casdin
SIT IN Fieldston students sit out of classes, waiting for the administration to meet their demands.
Artistic Alumni
6
Naomi Mishkin ‘07 and Halley Feiffer ‘03 pursue careers in the arts.
Ice Ice Baby!
7
Jojo Hong (8) and her budding ice skating career.
@hm.record @thehoracemannrecord Horace Mann School 231 W 246th St, Bronx, NY 10471
2
THE RECORD OPINIONS MARCH 15TH, 2019
Thinking critically about Trevor Noah
Schuyler Rabbin-Birnbaum Like everyone else, at the beginning of this year I received my copy of the Book Day selection, “Born A Crime”, by current Comedy Central Daily Show host Trevor Noah. As is my custom before I read a book, I did some background research on the author. In the past when researching Book Day authors I have found them to be professional and principled. However, I believe that Noah is neither of these. Past tweets from his account reveal blatantly sexist, anti-semitic, and homophobic statements. At Horace Mann, we are taught to be respectful of everyone, but Noah’s tweets are a complete rebuke of this sentiment. Here are direct quotes of some of Noah’s tweets: Originally when men proposed they went down on one knee so if the woman said no they were in the perfect uppercut position. — Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) December 20, 2012
and homophobic attitudes. The four listed above are just a sampling of Noah’s bigoted “humor,” and there are many more now-deleted tweets that one can read after a quick internet search. Noah has also used twitter to call out Israel for not being a “peaceful” country, and to slam Jewish women for not “going down easy.” These tweets first resurfaced in 2015 when Noah was named host of The Daily Show to replace Jon Stewart. At the time he responded to the controversy: “To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.” I find this response problematic for two reasons. One, Noah never offered a formal apology for his words, and two, he does not seem to understand the gravity of his tweets. These jokes reveal something deeper in Noah beyond just bad jokes; they reveal attitudes that we in a moral society cannot and must not accept. Noah’s book does have historical and literary merit and tells of his inspiring journey as a mixed race individual growing up in apartheid-controlled South Africa. However, I am not able to separate the book’s author from his earlier tweets. I am unable to think about Trevor Noah’s personal story without also considering his offensive statements. While Noah has written a riveting, thought-provoking memoir, we cannot simply excuse his past sexist, anti-semitic, and homophobic attitudes. Trevor Noah should not have been given the honor of being named Horace Mann’s Book Day author. Some students may claim that the content of Noah’s book is the only thing that counts, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Book Day cannot and must not be simply about the contents of a book. When we are celebrating a book, the author, a man who made statements unacceptable by our community’s standards, is just as much a part of that book as the stories in each chapter.
Oh yeah the weekend. People are gonna get drunk & think that I’m sexy! - fat chicks everywhere. — Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) October 14, 2011 I’m watching Olympic women’s hockey. It’s like lesbian porn. Without the porn. — Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) July 31, 2012 Almost bumped a Jewish kid crossing the road. He didn’t look b4 crossing but I still would hav felt so bad in my german car! — Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) September 18, 2009 These tweets propagate and validate sexist, anti-semitic, Wilder Harwood/Staff Artist
A response from three Book Day Committee members: Last spring, the Book Day Committee, consisting of a diverse group of more than two dozen students and faculty, overwhelmingly approved “Born a Crime.” As the three faculty members who proposed Trevor Noah’s memoir, we feel compelled to address Schuyler Rabbin-Birnbaum’s opinion piece is this week’s Record. First off, the Tweets cited in the opinion piece (and others) that Noah wrote as a younger comedian are in poor taste and offensive. There is no excusing them. After Noah was chosen to take over The Daily Show in 2015, and the controversy over Noah’s earlier tweets surfaced, Jon Stewart (one of Noah’s mentors and The Daily Show host at the time) responded, “I do hope you give [Noah] an opportunity to earn that trust and respect, because my experience with him is that he is an incredibly thoughtful and considerate and funny and smart individual, and, man, I think, you give him that time, and it’s gonna be well worth it..” Having all spent considerable time with Born a Crime, we can say that Noah is indeed well worth it. The memoir is about a boy, “born a crime” growing up in South Africa, a country built on generations of “perfect racism.” If readers zoom out and look at his circumstances, they might easily deduce that there is no way out for Noah. And they wouldn’t be wrong. Racist systems crush people. Mountains of historical evidence back this up. But Noah’s mother has the audacity and bravery to build a home filled with radical and transformative love. This foundation allows Noah to thrive with a mix of self-confidence and humor. It doesn’t, however, guarantee his success. As he navigates through apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, we see Noah stumble, make terrible mistakes, and succumb to identity crises. Watching him find a pathway to redemption, despite the destructive forces of his world, is the true gift of the memoir. Noah, in his way, gives us a framework to not only discuss the crippling effects of racist systems, but also the ways in which we continue to create and re-create ourselves over time. His offensive Tweets only further reveal that Noah continues to stumble and make mistakes. Writers, like all humans, are fallible. Sometimes they write distasteful, even hateful, things. The complicated issue of what do about art made by artists who cause offense is not one we should ignore. We commend Schuyler for raising these important issues. We hope they will provoke even more valuable Book Day discussions. Sincerely, Chidi Asoluka David Berenson Barry Bienstock
Money over merit: recruited athlete’s perspective on college admission scandal hard to show others that I deserve to go far in my athletic career. I put in countless hours of sweat, tears, and hard work in order to be scouted by numerous top-tier colleges and to show that I deserve to be admitted. Being recruited is definitely not an easy path to take. I have had to juggle the academic rigors of the school and my loaded tennis schedule, but it has been worth it. Being a recruited athlete makes me feel accomplished and proud of myself because I worked hard to get where I am. People who have cheated their way through the college process
Chidimma Okpara Shocked, disappointed, and upset. These words only begin to describe my reaction when I heard the news on Tuesday about the college admissions scandal, in which parents helped their children cheat on college entrance exams or posed them as athletic recruits. As a recruited athlete for the Dartmouth College Women’s Tennis Team, hearing these stories of parents paying athletic coaches to designate their non-athlete children as recruits made me distraught. I couldn’t imagine that parents would go to this extent to get their children into elite colleges. Throughout my experience with tennis, I have been taught that one must work hard and challenge oneself if they want to achieve success. I always push myself to be a better tennis player and work
“I feel as though my success [as a recruited athlete] is undermined by people who have cheated their way through the college process.” have undermined my success. These students took the easy way out, which took spots away from athletes like me, who have worked hard for years. My hope is that this scandal shows people that even though playing by the rules is definitely harder, it is more honorable than cheating.
Volume 116 Editorial Board Managing Editor Betsey Bennett
Editor in Chief Lynne Sipprelle
Features Abby Kanter Megha Nelivigi
News Katie Goldenberg Surya Gowda
Lions’ Den Natasha Stange Brody McGuinn William Han
Photography Abigail Kraus Ahaan Palla Jake Shapiro
Faculty Adviser David Berenson
Issues Editor Sadie Schwartz
Opinions Rebecca Siegel Abigail Goldberg-Zelizer Art Directors Juli Moreira Jackson Roberts
Middle Division Sandhya Shyam
A&E Peri Brooks Jeren Wei Design Editors Allison DeRose Caroline Kaplan
Online Editor Henry Wildermuth
Staff Writers Malhaar Agrawal, Laura Bae, Andrew Cassino, Mayanka Dhingra, Victor Dimitrov, Amelia Feiner, Mark Fernandez, Nelson Gaillard, Leonora Gogos, Jude Herwitz, Edwin Jin, Spencer Kahn, Samuel Keimweiss, Gabrielle Kepnes, Suraj Khakee Madison Li, Darius McCullough, Noah Phillips, Eliza Poster, Julia Robbins, Kiara Royer, Abigail Salzhauer, Ranya Sareen, Nishtha Sharma, Griffin Smith, Benjamin Wang, Robbie Werdiger, Simon Yang, Isabella Zhang, Izzy Abbott, Bradley Bennett, Sogona Cisse, Jack Crovitz, Jackson Feigin, Adam Frommer, Andie Goldmacher, Julia Goldberg, Marina Kazarian, John Mauro, Henry Owens, Emily Shi, Samuel Singer, Sasha Snyder, Vivien Sweet, Natalie Sweet, Joshua Underberg, Talia Winiarsky Staff Photographers Eva Fortunato, Iliana Dezelic, Griffin Smith, Harrison Haft, Andrew Cassino, Julia Isko, Julia Robbins, Daniel Lee, Ava Merker Staff Artists Elizabeth Fortunato, Alexandra Crotty, Gabrielle Fischberg, Annabelle Chan, Julia Roth
Juli Moreira/Art Director
Editorial Policy ABOUT The Record is published weekly by the students of Horace Mann School to provide the community with information and entertainment, as well as various viewpoints in the forms of editorials and opinion columns. All editorial decisions regarding content, grammar and layout are made by the editorial board. The Record maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association. EDITORIALS & OPINIONS Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the senior editorial board. Opinion columns are the sole opinion of the author and not of The Record or the editorial board. NOTE As a student publication, the contents of The Record are the views and work of the students and do not necessarily represent those of the faculty or administration of the Horace Mann School. The Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and content of The Record, and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed therein. LETTERS To be considered for publication in the next issue, letters to the editor should be submitted by mail (The Record, 231 West 246th Street, Bronx, NY 10471) or e-mail (record@horacemann.org) before 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. All submissions must be signed and should refer to a Record article. Letters may be edited for grammar, style, length and clarity. CONTACT For all comments, queries, story suggestions, complaints or corrections, or for information about subscribing, please contact us by email at record@horacemann.org.
HORACE MANN NEWS MARCH 15TH, 2018
School hosts French choreographer, journalist Kiara Royer & Gabrielle Kepnes Staff Writer
Bolewa Sabourin, a choreographer and “artivist,” and Balla Fofana, an author and journalist, visited the school on Tuesday to speak to Upper Division French students. The event was held to allow students to explore cultural diversity and the effects it has on people, French teacher Kenneth Carpenter said. “I loved the fact that we could have these guests who have interesting identities and experiences that they could share with students,” World Languages Department Chair Pilar Valencia said. “Bolewa and Balla are promoting their book, “The Rage of Life,” which recounts Bolewa’s life story as he moved between Congo, Martinique and France,” Upper Division French Teacher Dr. Niamh Duggan, who organized the event, said. Sabourin, speaking through a translator, shared the struggles he faced during his tumultuous childhood in France and the Democratic Republic of Congo. When Sabourin was 21, he created an association for art therapy with his best friend to help give disadvantaged people a voice, he said. As a result, Sabourin had the honor of meeting the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Congolese gynaecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege and worked with Congolese sexual assault victims alongside Mukwege in 2016, Sabourin said during the event. In the book, Sabourin discusses using dance as a tool for social justice and the empowerment of minority communities, Duggan said. “We knew there were a lot of different aspects of his work that the students would be interested in,” she said. One of eight children raised by a single mother, Fofana was faced with incredibly challenging health and financial problems
- both of which sparked his motivation to recount tales of the oppressed as a journalist, he said. “I started being interested in journalism when I saw the power that it gives and the way you can have someone be speechless,” Fofana said. “There are a lot of untold stories, so we have a lot to do,” he said. Currently, Fofana writes for Liberation, a
audience to stand up and dance with him, Nshera Tutu (10) said. “Dancing together got everyone energized and focused, and it helped me get the most out of the discussion,” she said. Sabourin then spoke about his time working with Dr. Mukwege and sexual assault survivors, Meryeme Elalouani (11) said. “When [Sabourin] talked about his work with sexual assault victims in Congo, he said
Courtesy of Pilar Valencia
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION French students smile and pose during workshop. French magazine, and works at Parisian high schools to encourage students to become activists themselves. Duggan organized the visit through a collaboration with the Columbia University Global Center in Paris, she said. “I knew that the two [speakers] were coming to New York and had two events scheduled at Columbia, so I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to create an exchange with our students at Horace Mann,” Duggan said. Before speaking, Sabourin invited the
that he couldn’t even imagine that a human being could do this much violence and be this cruel to people, and this helped create his motto of how to weaponize his heart and his mind,” she said. “This was one of my favorite parts because [Sabourin] showed how he used dance and art forms to help the women’s psychological problems,” Elalouani said. Although Sabourin spoke for most of the talk, Fofana joined Sabourin on stage for questions at the end of the session. Fofana hoped that
3
students would realize the importance of taking the time to focus on themselves and their own backgrounds, he said. Following the presentation, Sabourin taught a Congeneese dance workshop to French teacher Caroline Dolan’s French 3 Honors class in Gross Theatre. Sabourin’s dance gave Upper Division Dance teacher Denise DiRenzo ideas to incorporate into her own lessons, DiRenzo, said. “My students loved the way he led the audience through the choreography without words, and it was fun to see almost everyone jump in one hundred percent,” DiRenzo said. Catherine Zhang (10), who attended the morning presentation and the dance workshop, appreciated Sabourin’s positive attitude, she said. “He seemed very energetic with the impact he wanted to make, which made our class more excited for the activity as well,” Zhang said. “I saw moments in which students were asking really really good questions, and their presentation sparked more than curiosity; it prompted deep and serious reflections,” Valencia said. Fofana emphasized the importance of learning languages to show that everybody has something in common with somebody else, Valencia said. “The most important role of learning languages is the ability to build bridges and find commonalities between different experiences that normally don’t have anything to do with each other,” Valencia said. Carpenter was pleased that so many French students were able to listen and understand the excellent French they heard from both men and learn about the good work that Sabourin is doing with severely abused women in the Congo, he said. Bolewa and Balla’s stories show that it’s possible to use difficult life experiences to help others, Duggan said.
Forum discusses gender bias in speech clubs Katie Goldenberg/News Editor
Courtesy of Shay Soodak
DEBATABLE Shay Soodak and Alexa Mark debate in round.
Nishtha Sharma Staff Writer Members of the UD Debate Team, the school’s Model United Nations (MUN) team, and the Model Congress team gathered in the Recital Hall during I Period Monday to discuss gender inclusion in their clubs and share personal experiences about the impact of misogynistic biases. The event, organized by Debate Team member Alexa Mark (11), was created in response to the gender imbalance in debate, co-President of the Debate Team Sajan Mehrotra (12) said. The forum was also designed to be applicable to all clubs so students from other speech teams would attend, as the issues discussed have widereaching effects, he said. Mehrotra has noticed a gender imbalance in the composition of successful teams in the country, he said. “There’s certainly more we can do, and we plan to ask applicants for leadership next year about their ideas for better retaining female debaters,” he said. The discussion began with Mark explaining why she organized the forum. “I think that it’s a really good chance for people to share experiences, and for some of us to think about how we can include people better,” she said. Mark then discussed the gender imbalance she has noticed in debate. “Just as many girls join [debate] as guys do originally, but they drop out because they feel as if they’re not getting as much support as the guys,” she said. “The issue is less about recruiting women to debate, getting them to walk into the first club meeting, and more about getting them to stay,” Honor McCarthy ’18 said. “Retention is much harder, largely because discrimination is so pervasive that it deters 14 year old girls from sticking with the
activity.” McCarthy finds that sexism in debate does not come from within the school community but from outside. “There were numerous instances of explicit sexism demeaning comments about my appearance or knowledge of economic or sports related topics - but more often than not, I felt the discrimination on a subtler level,” she said. For example, “male debaters would constantly be condescending to me, telling me to calm down, or call me naïve,” she said. “I think we likely all contribute with our subconscious biases,” Mehrotra said. “The goal of discussions like the one Alexa hosted is to make everyone more aware of those biases.” Though most debaters recognize these issues exist, hearing personal experiences turns gender exclusion from an abstract idea into one that affects people in your community, Mark said. “You always know that sexism exits when you debate, but getting to know more about the ongoing issues through hearing personal experiences and being able to sympathize made the issue a lot more real,” Ben Lee (11) said. Mark introduced several female members of the school’s three speech clubs, who discussed how their clubs have fostered gender biases and how that has impacted them. Shay Soodak (11), Mark’s debate partner, mentioned the team would frequently receive comments about how they are aggressive compared to their male opponents. “Our only feedback was related to how we present ourselves, not our skills, which is something not all guys have to deal with,” she said. Gloria Khafif (11), a General Assembly delegate on MUN, shared anecdotes of how she experiences sexist stereotypes during conferences.
“From things such as your outfit, to how you speak, you have to wear a persona that makes you more feminine, more dainty, and less aggressive,” she said. Khafif described receiving notes from male delegates about her outfit choices, and hearing male delegates make sexual comments about girls, she said. Similarly, Charlotte Cebula (11), who is also on MUN, discussed how her voice has been a big hindrance for her. “The way we conduct and present ourselves is much more important than our actual speaking skills,” she said. Eliza Bender (11) and Amelia Feiner (11), who are on MUN and Model Congress respectively, spoke about the intimidating male-dominated atmosphere in their clubs. Bender participates in a committee that is primarily composed of male students. In one conference, she was one of two girls in a 17-person crisis committee, a typical gender ratio, she said. In her first Model Congress conference, Feiner was put on armed forces with a group of older, conservative boys. “I remember being so scared, I didn’t want to speak, even when all the junior and senior girls were encouraging me to make just one speech,” she said. McCarthy felt that she was spared the worst of discrimination by judges because she had a male partner, she said. “I have boundless respect for teams composed entirely of women, who face it ten times worse,” she said. During her time as co-President of the Debate Team, McCarthy and her two female co-Presidents worked to partner young women debaters with older ones, she said. “Cultivating a culture of mentorship and making sure women are not only debating, but coaching and judging, is key,” she said.
4
THE RECORD FEATURES MARCH 15TH, 2019
Juli Moreira/Art Director
Eddie Jin, Julia Robbins, & Talia Winiarsky Staff Writers “Close your eyes. Imagine you’re in PI, standing on a bar and you have a belly,” Lily* overheard a senior saying in the library. This senior was referring to body image concerns in advance of the notorious Spring Break trip to the Bahamas. The trip is popular for its lack of adult supervision, a lower legal drinking age of 18, and the chance to spend time with friends on the beach. Nearly 60 seniors will depart for the annual Paradise Island (PI) trip on March 15th. The ‘senior trip’ to PI is not a school sponsored trip, Head of School Tom Kelly said. The trip is booked by students through GradCity, a travel agency specializing in high school and college spring break excursions. The company offers trips to tropical destinations in Florida, the Bahamas, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. According to their website, students at many other New York City private schools, including Trinity School, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, and Riverdale Country Day, have booked trips to PI through GradCity. As in past years, students will stay at Atlantis Paradise Island, a four-star resort. The lower drinking age enables many seniors to easily obtain alcohol. Consequently, students from all over the country congregate in PI to party and drink with friends at the beach. The trip costs $1,999 for five nights, including airfare, hotel amenities, and admission to parties facilitated by GradCity. Representatives from both GradCity and the hotel said that there are no restrictions on alcohol as long as clients are of legal age. “I think the biggest enforcer is that it’s the ‘senior thing’ to do,” Ruby* said. Ruby decided to spend her spring break in PI because all her friends are going, she said. “Your experience depends on who you’re surrounded by with things like this, so I know I’ll have fun.”
“
“Not everybody is able to pull out over $2000 for a high school trip.”
Even though the trip is booked by professionals, some attendees are still worried about safety. For example, Jenna* is afraid of her friends “going overboard on drinking and partying,” she said. Cameron Levy ‘18, who went on the trip last year, confirms that “there was definitely an expectation of drinking [at] these parties, because they were [at] large venues with tons of
high schoolers and the environment was conducive to being intoxicated.” “Many people view PI as a time to become intoxicated with their friends and take advantage of the opportunity to have sexual relations with people that they have never spoken to before,” Carl* said. Some parents voiced concerns about safety. Libby Rosen P ‘17 ‘19 ‘23 said safety was her main concern when sending her daughter on the trip. “We wanted to be sure the kids knew to travel in groups not only when they left the hotel but also within the hotel complex, what to do and who to call if someone had too much to drink or got hurt,” she said. Jen*, the parent of a senior last year, was so concerned about her child’s safety that she wished her child did not go. “I see it to be something that is fraught with potential for an untoward experience. I never want my child to be in a situation that is risky,” she said. But Jen* relented to her daughter’s wishes to avoid disappointing her. Patty’s* parents were originally opposed to her attending the trip. “When I told my parents I wanted to go, they were really not happy. They were kind of astonished that I even asked to go because they’ve heard all these stories in the news with bad things happening to people who go on this trip,” she said. Patty’s family concluded that she could only go if her mother stayed on the island too, albeit at a different hotel. “Given that basically all my friends are going, I really wanted to go, and it would be unfortunate to miss out,” she said. “I would rather go with my mom staying on the island than not go at all.” In addition, some students are deterred from the trip due to concerns about the price. The high cost of the trip is an impediment for many, Eddie Ahn (12) said. There is no financial aid system for a student who wants to go on the trip but cannot afford it, a representative from GradCity said. “Not everybody is able to pull out over $2000 for a high school trip. [The payment is] also due pretty early in the year, so it’s hard to save the money up for those who need to,” Ruby said. While there is no financial aid given by GradCity, one student is funding two of her friends’ trips, Ruby said. Even though it is good that these two students are able to go on the trip for free, there are many more students who cannot afford the trip and would have gone otherwise, she said. Referring to stereotypes of economically exclusive private schools, Levy said the worst part of the trip was being around “the classic New York City kid who likes to flex his or her wealth.” “There aren’t too many of those types at Horace Mann, but when you go to PI you see every type of New York City prep school student, and it’s very eye-opening,” Levy said. In addition to the financial obstacle, the trip is socially exclusive. “It’s only fun if your friends are going,” Ahn said, who will not be attending for that reason.
Juli Moreira/Art Director
Apart from safety, social, and financial concerns, worries about body image dominate the minds of PI dieters (“pieters”) leading up to the trip. Students prepare for the trip by molding their bodies to a “desirable” standard. Girls often attempt to lose weight while boys attempt to bulk up. “PI is just a lot of people in bathing suits and they want to look good and they feel like others might judge them,” Sandra* said. The constant talk of pieting and being surrounded by people who are pieting makes others hyper-aware of their body image, Monica* said.
*Any name with an asterisk represents a person granted anonymity Students’ responses to an anonymous poll
I’m not going to PI because...
“It’s a disgusting example of capitalistic consumer culture in which students seek to distract themselves from anxiety with alcohol and various other materialistic practices.”
“I don’t think I could make it through a week with the whole grade.”
Juli Moreira/Art Director
“None of my friends are going.”
“Seems sort of shady with the amount of drinking going on. Plus it doesn’t even seem that fun with the amount of dieting everyone does.” “Parents don’t want to pay and I can’t afford it.” “I like to use my breaks to spend time with family and it’s a nice break from school friends.”
5
HORACE MANN FEATURES MARCH 15TH, 2019
I’m going to PI because... “I never thought I would go, because it didn’t seem like my scene (partying a ton, taking a ton of pics in bikinis, spending a ton of money, etc.), but I feel like I would missing out if I didn’t go because all of my friends are going.” “It’s a right of passage for seniors.” “All my friends are going.”
“The fact that a ton of people in different friend groups were going (not just the typical “partying” people), convinced me that it might actually be fun.” “I want to hang out with friends on the beach.”
Patty has been working out more frequently and has become more aware of what she is eating, but has not intensely dieted, she said. Patty has observed others making drastic changes to their diet, and is now more self-conscious about her body image. “When I look in front of the mirror, I wish I were thinner and that I could lose a few pounds,” she said. “Not everybody is comfortable showing their skin in front of people for different reasons, so wanting to feel more comfortable is okay as long as you’re being healthy about it, which not every[one] is doing,” Ruby said. Students “piet” by cutting calories and carbs, exercising more, doing intermittent fasting, and taking part in fad diets, Sandra said. Yet some students say pieters are taking it to new extremes. “I actually [think] it’s been quite scary recently. People who never
good about your body. It is all about balance. If someone is worrying for months about how they will look for spring break, and they are taking extreme measures to have a body type based on someone else’s standard, rather than the body they have, they should consider asking for help to get perspective.” “I don’t remember hearing about ‘pieting’ until more recently,” Delanty said. Pieting has probably existed for several years, but started gaining more prominence with the rise of social media and young people feeling pressured to always look a specific way for their online presence, she said.
“
People who never used to think about their bodies this obsessively are starting to, because the piet conversations surround them every day.”
The role of social media intensifies the idea of an ideal body image for PI, Monica said. Students compare their bodies to pictures of alumni who posted pictures of themselves on social media during their PI trip, even though the photo may be edited, she said. “For me, I care less about how other people see my body and more about how I feel,” Ruby said. “If I’m feeling self-conscious,
I’m not going to have as much fun. I have more fun when I feel and look good for myself.” Yet some argue that exposure to parties like the ones in PI is inevitable. Situations on a trip like PI are experiences one will have sooner or later if financially available, Nader Granmayeh (12) said. “Pieting is a response to trips like these,” he said. Granmayeh believes it could be better to have these experiences now, when there is a stronger support system from parents and friends, as opposed to later in college and life. Nicole Warszawski (12) hopes the trip will make her more self-sufficient and independent, she said. “The trip is preparing me for the college experience that I hope to have,” she said. PI foreshadows the college party scene “in which you spend nights in a friend’s room until three a.m, sometimes,” Levy said. The trip is also one of the few times when such a large part of the grade is in the same place and out of school at the same time. “I guess I’m excited for a lot of the grade being together,” Sandra said. It will be nice to just be together and not talk about work and school, she said. Many alumni still treasure their experiences at PI to this day. “The trip for me was a time to focus on how special my grade was then, is now, and will be,” Beatrix Bondor ‘18 said. Nevertheless, administrators voice concerns for students’ safety. “I think in our hearts we would prefer that it didn’t happen for safety reasons,” Dean of Students Dr. Susan Delanty said. In general, it’s dangerous to have thousands of students together in one place, unsupervised and drinking, she said. Delanty and other teachers tell students to always know where their friends are on the trip and to take care of each other, she said. “We just hope that in the end they’re safe,” Delanty said. Juli Moreira/Art Director
Courtesy of Cameron Levy
used to think about their bodies this obsessively are starting to, because the piet conversations surround them every day,” Ruby said. “It’s really hard not to get caught up in it, which I think is the most detrimental part - the way it spreads.” “I normally am a little self-conscious but pretty comfortable with my body,” Patty said. “Pieting has made me feel like next to a lot of people, I might look bad in a bikini, and I’m definitely more self-conscious about the way I look than before. This has really had a negative impact on my body image.” Lily has noticed tendencies of extreme pieters, such as making others feel guilty eating, she said. Lily saw a pieter ask a non-pieter, “Can you eat that food slower so I can pretend I’m eating that myself?” Emma*, another senior, also said that a friend ridiculed her for eating breakfast one day. “I’m being shamed for eating apples and bananas-- people come up to me and say ‘there are too many carbs in that.’” “Concern about how your body looks affects all genders,” Head of Counseling and Guidance Dr. Daniel Rothstein said. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to be in shape and feeling
6
THE RECORD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 15TH, 2019
Naomi Mishkin ‘07 makes her mark on the fashion industry Jude Herwitz
Staff Writer
Naomi Mishkin (’07) first started working in fashion in the Middle Division, when she sold her homemade hand bags to her friends. Her journey to holding a trunk show for her own fashion label, Naomi Nomi, has not been a straight shot, but nonetheless, last Saturday she debuted five new silk scarves at an event in Lower Manhattan. In her early childhood, she learned how to sew, which came with the territory when her mother’s family had been working in the garment industry since coming to the US. “When I went to my grandmother’s
house the two options were to play outside or play with the sewing machine,” Mishkin said. She chose the latter. Starting in ninth grade she began to intern for Charles Nolan, a fashion designer who had started his own brand after working for Ann Klein, an influential and popular designer, Mishkin said. Among her experiences with Nolan included missing a week of school in the fall of her senior year while preparing for and helping at New York Fashion Week. Another major activity of hers at school was The Record, she said. Mishkin worked as production manager, the equivalent of today’s
Courtesy of Naomi Mishkin
COLLECTION SCARF Mishkin’s collection contains different patterned scarves.
design editor, who is largely responsible for the layout of the paper. “I was faculty advisor of the paper for twelve years so every year has its own special quality, and she was definitely a key a part of making that board special,” Dr. Glenn Wallach said. In fact, while preparing for the trunk show, she used the same printing service which she contacted when sending the paper to print for The Record. “Horace Mann gave me the space to do whatever I was going to do very well, and to be smart and professional about it,” Mishkin said. After graduating from the school and spending one year at Cornell University, she ended up transferring the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and received her undergraduate degree in glass. Mishkin then worked as an artist’s assistant and fabricator for more well-known artists, meaning she actually made some of the constituent parts of works which her employer designed. In 2017 she got her Masters in Fine Art from Oxford. Throughout her time at school, Mishkin also worked on her art in a variety of different mediums. Some of the sculpture which she designed and made has been featured in galleries in London and Paris. “She didn’t see walls between the studios,” Visual Arts teacher Keith Renner said. “She saw them all as one art room.” For example, even though she never actually enrolled in a ceramics class she spent a lot of time in the studio, both making herself and helping teach younger students how to create their own art. All the while she continued to make clothes during her free time
Courtesy of Naomi Mishkin
NAOMI NOMI Mishkin poses for collection photo. and ended up making most of the clothes in her closet, she said. “I’m not surprised that she’s doing fashion design right now,” Middle Division Visual Arts teacher Natasha Rubirosa said. “Even in middle school she was making things with fabric.” Last year Mishkin started her own line of clothing, Naomi Nomi, which, according to the website, makes women’s everyday workwear. She designs all of the products and for now is the only full-time employee of the company, though she specialists in other fields, like photography or e-commerce, depending on her needs. “You’ve got to assemble a team,” Mishkin said. “It’s impossible to do alone.” Last month, the New York Times published a profile of her and her
work in the Sunday Styles section of the paper. “When everyone in my family reached for the other sections that only had pictures of boring old guys yelling at each other, no one took Styles - it was mine to obsess over,” Mishkin said. “It also was extremely validating at a young age to see what I was interested in up there with all the ‘important’ (albeit boring to a ten-year-old) news.” Her newest products are a line of silk scarves inspired by the process of making, she said. For example, one scarf is yellow with a one-centimeter wide grid, meant to mimic tape measures. “[Mishkin’s work] is really bringing together all of the sides of her that we saw here when she was in high school,” Wallach said. “Design. Art. Flair. Style.”
From HMTC to playwriting: Halley Feiffer’s (‘03) journey in theatre Liliana Greyf Contributing Writer From acting in productions in Gross to writing plays for the Geffen Playhouse, Playwrite Halley Feiffer ’03 possesses a love for the performing arts that extends beyond the Horace Mann Theater Company (HMTC). Having dedicated hours of rehearsals to HMTC, Feiffer believes that the school’s theatre program changed her life. “To be honest [HMTC] was a big reason I chose to come to Horace Mann,” Feiffer said. “I had seen a production of ‘Brigadoon’ there, and I was so impressed with the quality of the production that I really wanted to go to a school where I could participate in a high caliber theater program.” Feiffer took a playwriting class her sophomore year, which inspired her to pursue a career in playwriting, she said. Teachers were her biggest inspiration, they caused her to think widely and in ways she would not have imagined otherwise, she said. Her mentor, Tracy Bryce Farmer, who she met during her freshman year, directed many plays that she took part in, and taught the playwriting Feiffer that she first took. Faculty Technical Director Joel Sherry and Theatre, Dance & Film Studies Department Chair Alison Kolinski, inspired by Feiffer as well. “She had a constant positive outlook, and was always filled with
chaotic energy,” Sherry said. “Yet, [Feiffer] was very professional when it came to theater; you could tell she was serious about it.” Kolinski has seen and praised several of her works after her graduation. “Halley has always been so gracious when ever I see her.” Kolinski has noted Feiffer’s kindness, saying “she is filled with sweetness and some modest self deprecation,” influences her writing. “Halley can laugh at herself and the bizarre situations that she often finds herself in. She has brought that humor to her writing.” In addition to her love of playwriting, she performed in numerous HMTC productions. The most memorable performance was “Three Sisters” by Anton Chekhov, a production directed by former theatre teacher Tracy Bryce Farmer. “[Farmer’s] passion for [theatre] and the way that she taught it helped me understand it and become obsessed with that play and Chekhov. One of the plays that I have coming up is actually an adaptation of the Three Sisters,” she said. Despite her success as a playwright, she has faced challenges throughout her career in the performing arts. “I spent many years being a frustrated actress, and about ten years ago I decided to empower myself and allow myself to write,” she said. “I want people to know that we can really create the kind of lives we want to.” Feiffer’s upcoming play, Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow
Courtesy of Williamstown Theatre Festival
MOSCOW x 6 Halley Feiffer (far right) and the cast of Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow.
Moscow, is “an exploration of the corrosive effects of toxic masculinity on women and men alike. It investigates a loving but complicated and codependent romantic relationship between a man and a woman, against a backdrop of Donald Trump’s presidency, she said. “It is completely different from my other play, which has four actors, this one has twelve. I hope to illuminate the hilarity and horror of the story of the Three Sisters.” Feiffer is “obsessed” with the play and wants
to continue to explore it through this work, she said. “I wanted to show something that illuminates my obsession with [the play] and the reasons behind that. I think it’s a really important story for us to tell, especially today, when were all really prone to blame other people for our problems, both politically and personally. I believe that the thesis of the play is that our problems are primarily of our own making, which means that we actually have a lot more freedom than we think,”
Feiffer said. Feiffer thanks her teachers, fellow students, and everyone that was part of the productions she was in for inspiring her and “being a constant source of support.” Reflecting back on her time at HM, she knows that the opportunities it provided were incredible, “the classes I took and people I met are surely why I am where I am today.” Even 16 years after her graduation, Feiffer still credits her success to the HMTC, she said.
HORACE MANN MIDDLE DIVISION MARCH 15TH, 2019
JoJo Hong (8) skates her way to Junior Worlds Samuel Keimweiss Staff Writer This past weekend, Jocelyn Hong (8) headed out to Croatia for the biggest moment of her life so far, she said. After training for six years and competing both nationally and internationally, Hong attended the Junior World Figure Skating Championships in Croatia. “I had a lot of fun in Croatia and it was a really great week,” Hong said. “I thought that the city was really great, and I also met a lot of new friends whom I was also competing against.” For her World Championships short program, Hong chose New Moon by Alexandre Desplat, a piece she had loved since she first heard it at the beginning of the season, she said. “At the beginning of my program I pretend I am a painter, and the music is just piano,” she said. Unfortunately, Hong did not see the result she wanted at the World Championships, placing 32nd and failing to qualify for the second round, the free skate, she said. Despite this, she remained in good spirits, happy about the event and excited for the future, she said. Hong started skating when she was six, she said. Originally, she was just a casual skater, but thanks to an amazing tutor in Xaiou Hu she quickly found a love for the sport and soon started competing in regional tournaments around Beijing, she said. “When I started taking it seriously, I started competing since I was improving so fast,” Hong Courtesy of Jojo Hong
A NATURAL ON THE ICE Hong glides on ice during her short program.
said. In sixth grade, Hong moved to the United States and began attending the school and competing in the United States. By seventh grade, she began competing at the junior level, and in August, she was old enough to compete internationally, attending her first international competition at the Junior Grand Prix in Austria. Hong skates for New Zealand internationally, she said. The country where she was born, New Zealand provides a significantly lower level of competitiveness than China and the United States, which helps her focus on the larger international tournaments instead of nationals, she said. Hong was the first person from New Zealand to make the junior worlds in five years, her mother Jihong Chen said. Hong has fallen in love with the sport because of the way it combines art and athleticism, she said. “You not only have to be good at jumping and techniques, but you also have to skate to your program and really work hard on making your program perfect,” she said. As her love of the sport has grown, her devotion to it has grown as well, former coach Jimmy Ma said. “She is very much invested in her craft,” he said. Ma coached Hong from the end 2016 to the middle of 2017, he said, before he left her to let her go on to a more experienced coach. “It was very much like a big brother, younger sister type deal,” Ma said of his relationship with Hong. “I left her in a good place.” Hong’s current coach and choreographer, Nikolai Morozov, has been with her since then. Morozov coached former professional figure skater Shizuka Arakawa to a gold medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics and led former professional figure skater Miki Ando to two world titles, in 2007 and 2011. “I think I’ve improved a lot since he started coaching me, jumping wise, skating skills and everything in general,” Hong said. “I think he’s a really great coach to work with.” Under Morozov, Hong has really taken her skating to the next level, she said. She placed top ten in two events in the winter, Skate Celje in Slovenia in late November and the January Mentor Torun Cup in Poland. In early February, Hong won her first international event, the International Games in Reykjavik, Iceland. “I was really surprised and happy because this year was my first competing internationally, since I was too young before. I was really excited that I could win this competition,” Hong said. As important as the win was, what it meant was that Hong had scored enough points to qualify for the World Championships. “It was a challenge for me this year because for my short program, I needed to go to many competitions until I got enough points,” she said.
7
Courtesy of Jojo Hong
SKATING STAR Hong competes in Croatia. Even with all this success, Hong remains remarkably humble about her accomplishments, her advisor Kenneth Carpenter said. “She really doesn’t toot her own horn. She is very, very modest,” he said. With four international tournaments and numerous regional affairs this year, Hong has had to work carefully to balance school work and her budding skating career. Hong has been skating long enough and at a high enough level that Ma actually suggested she be homeschooled and focus her time on skating instead, he said. “She wanted to have the middle school experience,” Ma said. “Education still means a lot to her and social life is important as well.” School means a lot to Hong, and she believes that her experiences at school will help her as she prepares for the future, Chen said. Hong has worked closely with the administration, her teachers, and her advisors to make sure that she does not fall behind on work while she is on her trips, Carpenter said. “Frankly, I admire her greatly, because she has a great work ethic that makes her succeed as a student and a skater,” he said. Hong’s friends also help with her work, she said. “At school, my friends have been really supportive of me, and while I was gone, they helped me a lot by sending me school work and class notes,” Hong said. “They encouraged me and supported me when I was really nervous or just really scared before a competition.”
Hong’s devotion to her craft really makes her stand out, Yui Hasagewa (8) said. “Jojo works very hard to maintain her skating career,” she said. Even when she is at home, Hong devotes most of her time to figure skating. She skates for one hour every morning before school, 1.5 hours every afternoon, and three to four hours every weekend. Although all of this constant work may seem like a lot, to Hong it is not a problem, as she loves every minute on the ice, she said. As the annual eighth grade Dorr trip approached, Hong became worried that taking eight days out of her schedule would kill her hopes at making the World Championships. Before Dorr, Hong had never taken eight days off of skating before; most of her vacations or rests didn’t exceed three days. “In skating, it’s really hard to maintain your technique after not skating for such a long time,” she said. It ended up being okay, however, as Hong quickly recovered after the hiatus and went on to achieve her goal. Now, it is on to the next step in her career: the senior level at age 16 and the Olympics in 2022, which she is determined to go to, Chen said. “I hope to see her on TV someday soon,” Carpenter said. Thanks to Hong’s dedication, focus, and love of the sport, the Olympics are not a dream; they are an attainable goal.
Seventh grade sees cultural show at Apollo Theatre Patrick Stinebaugh Staff Writer
The seventh grade boarded buses headed for the Apollo Theater in Manhattan this morning at 9:30. The trip, run by Middle Division (MD) history teacher Natalie Wiegand, is part of the seventh grade’s museum projects for their history classes, and is new to the MD. The museum project is part of the seventh grade history curriculum. Typically, students are given a list of eligible museums for them to attend and they go outside of school with their families to locations including the Tenement Museum and the Ellis Island Museum. They learn about the history of the museum on their own and then return to the classroom with a new understanding and being able to explain what they studied. While in previous years the museum project held students responsible for going to the sites themselves, this year the school is providing the trips in case parents can’t take students, or if financially there are some struggles getting to the museum, Wiegand said. While the trip is an optional part of the museum project, they filled up the trip right away, so kids really
wanted to go, Wiegand said. At the theater, the seventh graders will see a show about Retumba, a form of Caribbean music. The academic point of the trip is the museum project, so kids can return to the classroom having learned something new, but a non-classroom related goal of going to the Retumba show is to teach the seventh graders about other cultures and communities, Wiegand said. “Since it’s Caribbean it’s more than you might see from that time, it’s more diverse and inclusive,” Stephanie Lee (7) said. The school isn’t just providing one trip to the Apollo Theater this year, though. After spring break there will be another show option for the seventh graders to go to, which will be on Tapology, the history of tap dance. The show will be more history-oriented rather than focusing on culture like the Retumba show, but the idea was more appealing to some students. “I know a lot of dancers signed up for the Tapology show,” Wiegand said. MD history teacher Catherine Rudbeck, who also dances, is excited for the Tapology
show as well, she said. Lee is excited because it’s different from all the other trips and they get to go see a show, she said. School-provided events for the museum project in particular is a new idea and has room to change or grow in the future. “I could imagine in future years that we can do a tour of the theater, or maybe an evening show,” Wiegand said. “It’s fun to go to because the teachers can also help guide you with your project,” Wyatt Silverman (7) said. The Retumba and Tapology shows during the day are hosted by the Apollo Theater’s education department while nighttime shows are more for entertainment. Nonetheless, the seventh graders are excited for the upcoming trip and the opportunity to see different cultures. Hanzhang Swen (7) felt the while she’s not a dancer, she’s excited to learn about tap dance, she said. “I’m excited to learn about the experiences of people who came to this country,” Maeve Goldman (7) said.
Jackson Roberts/Art Director
Lions’ Den Record Sports
8
MARCH 15TH, 2019
Lifeguarding course helps students save lives Suraj Khakee Staff Writer The lifeguarding course is up and running again during spring PE trimester after a successful winter season. The course is now a possibility thanks to the renovated gymnasiums this year, and students have been taking advantage of it. The class is led by Aquatics Director Thatcher Woodley, whose lifeguarding expertise is just one of the many talents he has brought to the school. He teaches a class that is both learning-intensive and fun at the same time, Paul Wang (11), who took the course during the winter trimester, said. The class is based around the American Red Cross Lifeguarding curriculum, Woodley said. Every other class is in the pool, while the rest are spent in the classroom doing more CPR training, Wang said. Days in the pool are spent practicing different methods of saving drowning swimmers. Students learn the differences between passive rescues, in which a victim isn’t moving, and active rescues, in which the victim is moving, two different sets of challenges, Andrew Cassino (11) said. Other lessons focus on protocols for when victims are oriented in different directions as well as lessons on submerged victims and the
Abigail Kraus/Photo Editor
LIFEGUARDS ON DUTY Students pose for a pictutre after completeing the course. Emergency Action Protocol required, Cassino said. The final test includes two practical performance-based components and two
written tests, Woodley said. If a student passes that set of tests, then he or she is certified to lifeguard, he said. However, achieving a certification is no
easy task, Wang said. “The course was more difficult than I anticipated, but it was worth it because I definitely learned a lot,” he said. I now feel more qualified and confident if I need to help someone in need of assistance in the water.” Students joined the program for a variety of reasons, and the PE department was excited to see interest across all grades, Woodley said. “I thought it was valuable because I learned how to save people, which is something I’ve always felt is important,” Sean Koons (12) said. The winter lifeguarding course had 13 participants, and the spring trimester will have five. Woodley believes this is a good start, but hopes that the numbers will grow, he said. “I thought the course would be a great chance to utilize the new facilities and pool that we are privileged to have now,” Wang said. “I decided to take lifeguarding because I think it’s an important skill to have and it’s good to know how to handle emergency situations if they present themselves,” Mckayla Widener (11) said Other students recommend the course as an alternative to the monotonous cycle of PE every trimester. “I think it’s a great way to insert variety into the PE program while offering a certification that can be useful outside of the school setting at the same time,” Cassino said.
Winter Banquet Athletic Awards Ceremony Courtesy of Ruth Seligman
Courtesy of Ruth Seligman
Girls’ Varsity Swim Team Coaches Award: Elizabeth Fortunato MVP: Maddy Wu Varsity Wrestling Team Coaches Award: Michael Ortiz MVP: Jamie Berg Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team Coaches Award: Ben Chasin MVP: Kelvin Smith
Boys’ Varsity Swim Team Coaches Award: Allen Park MVP: William Han
Girls’ Varsity Ski Team Coaches Award: Hannah Long MVP: Emma Djoganopoulos
Boys’ Varsity Fencing Team Coaches Award: Mikael Asfaw MVP: Daniel Lee
Boys’ Varsity Ski Team Coaches Award: Nelson Gaillard MVP: Adam Frommer
Girls Varsity Squash Team Coaches Award: Rhea Sanger MVP: Sofia Jiong
Girls’ Varsity Fencing Team Coaches Award: Eunice Bae MVP: Alexia Gilioli Girls Indoor Track Team Coaches Award: Maya Freeman MVP: Lauren Gay
Courtesy of Ruth Seligman
Boys’ Varsity Squash Team Coaches Award: Peter Lehv MVP: Connor Morris Boys’ Varsity Indoor Track Team Coaches Award: Paul Wang MVP: Melchior Lee